Harshest Moons
by Bookwormosis
Summary: Sandstorm is expecting kits and the harshest moons the Clans have ever seen is approching. Will she survive?
1. Disclaimer

_**Disclaimer:**__** I do NOT own warrior cats, even though I want to very much. But I DO own this fanfic and all of them in my profile. So, yea. Warriors are the best**_


	2. The News

_**The Mysterious Times; Chapter 1: The News**_

Sandstorm shifted on to her opposite flank uncomfortably. She was just getting used to having kits to carry around inside of her. Her mate, Firestar, had no idea she was having his kits yet. A ginger head popped into the warriors den and startled her. "Do you want to come on patrol with Mousefur,Graystripe,Cloudtail and me?" Firestar asked. "Sure, just give me some time to wash up" She mewed back. His head disappeaerd from the den.

She licked her pelt smoothly. _Oh StarClan, what should I do?_ She thought to herself. She heaved herself from her nest and padded out of the den. She sniffed the air and smelled Cloudtail talking with Firestar right inside his den. She spotted Mousefur and padded sullenly after her. Graystripe came from the medicine den with juice from a juniper berry still on his lips. He swiped his tongue quickly around his muzzle. Firestar padded from his den quickly followed by Cloudtail. He walked up to Sandstorm and twined his tail with hers. "Are you okay?" He asked with concern in his mew. She flicked her ears dismissively and meowed "Of cause I am you stupid furball"

Mousefur flicked her tail questioningly-she was the only one who knew that Sandstorm was expecting kits aside from the queens and Cinderpelt. Sandstorm just twitched her ears as if she was saying leave it. The patrol padded swiftly from camp. Birds called all through the forest and the wind shook the leaves. The group headed towards Sunningrocks.

Sandstorm streaked after a white blur. She pounced and miss timed her pounce. She landed awkwardly on her flank. Firestar streaked over and licked her. Her sniffed and pawed her all over. When he prodded her stomach she let out a moan of pain. Firestar asked "Sandstorm? What's wrong?" She moaned again and struggled to get up.

Mousefur whispered in Sandstorm's ear "I am going to tell him" She pounced swiftly and caught a mouse. Then she looked Firestar in the eyes. She took a deep breath. " Sandstorm is expecting kits Firestar" She mewed.


	3. How Could You

_**The Harshest Moons; Chapter 2: How Could You**_

He stood there, baffled. _Sandstorm's expecting kits Firestar_. No matter how many times he thought about that, he couldn't figure out why he wasn't jumping for joy. Then his excitement turned to annoyance. "Why didn't you tell me Sandstorm? How long have you been expecting kits?" He asked. "T-three moons" Sandstorm meowed, her strength still slowly ebbing back. "I just really wanted to surprise you. You had looked so happy when I told you I was ready to have kits."

"Well" he hissed, anger and fury in his mew "You succeeded". He stalked away, feeling hurt that she hadn't told him sooner. He padded sullenly towards the easiest trail from Sunningrocks. "Firestar!" Sandstorm, Graystripe and Cloudtail's fear filled yowl frightened him. As he pelted to the rocks, a fishy smell bathed his tongue. A huge group of cats were pulling themselves from the river and bounding up the sun-bathed rocks. The arrogant tilt of the head, way the she-cat's tail was held erect and tight, length of the paw held up off the ground, Firestar didn't even have to guess who the head of the patrol was.

"Would you look at that" Leopardstar sneered "Sandstorm's going to be having kits, and she can't even catch a rabbit without hurting herself" With a slight flick of her tail, Leopardstar motioned Stonefur to her side. After hissing in his ear, she smirked. Stonefur leapt forward, paws out stretched, claws extended. Even though Firestar knew he wouldn't make it, he raced for Sandstorm. But before he could make it, a bundle of white fur stained with soot bowled Stonefur over. As if an unspoken agreement was made, Graystripe unsheathed his claws and stood in front of Sandstorm, while Mousefur started to nudge Sandstorm to her feet. As Sandstorm padded to him, he padded to her. Pressing against her shoulder to support her, he and Mousefur lead Sandstorm through the ferns.

Sandstorm looked at Firestar. "Go fight" she meowed hoarsely. After he told Mousefur to get help, he raced away. Mousefur hared away. Sandstorm nestled in a crook in a root and sat down. She started to groom her pelt clean. The amount of dust on it made her gag. ThunderClan scents bathed her tongue. After the ferns rustled, blurs of ginger, gray, white, black, brown, and golden streaked past her. In front, Whitestorm kept pace with Mousefur. Behind them, Thornpaw, Brightheart and Longtail pelted along behind them. Then behind Thornpaw, Brightheart and Longtail, Goldenflower, Frostfur, Bramblepaw and Brackenfur followed.

With a flick of her ear, Sandstorm recognized Whitestorm's battle cry. Before she knew it, ferns rustled behind her. Blackclaw leapt from the ferns and landed neatly on Sandstorm, pinning her to the sooty ground. Sandstorm turned and thrashed at his soft underbelly fur. Sandstorm threw him off, howling with blood flowing from his stomach. Leopardstar herself leapt from where Blackclaw disappeared. She pinned Sandstorm down so that Sandstorm couldn't move. Yet again, the ferns rustled and two cats appeared from them. One cat leapt and landed on Leopardstar, clawing her back. The other hissed with such force, it even scared Sandstorm. Then the ferns rustled again.

Leopardstar's weight was lifted off of her. Firestar nudged Sandstorm to her paws. Thornpaw pressed against one of her shoulders, while Bramblepaw pressed against the other. Willowpelt raced from the nursery, followed by her three kits. Dustpelt came from the warriors den while Fernpaw pelted from the apprentices den. Cinderpelt hobbled from her den, a leaf wrap clamped firmly in her jaws. Sandstorm started to lick the few wounds she had, while Cinderpelt chewed up some dock. Then Cinderpelt applied dock to the wounds on Sandstorm.

All of a sudden, Sandstorm slumped to the ground, unconscious. Spasms racked her body. Bramblepaw pelted from the clearing, while Dustpelt and Fernpaw looked on in horror. Willowpelt was herding her kits to the nursery.


End file.
